Will cruise count as being in the U.S.?

Dear Bird Talk,
We typically spend four to five months in the U.S. in the winter. Next year, in the summer, we are planning a 32-day cruise that originates in Alaska, goes through the Northwest Passage and ends in New York, following stops in Newport and Boston. As we won't have been out of the U.S. for 30 days, will all of the days count as being in the U.S. for B2 purposes?
Peter Kilgour
Toronto, ON

Response :Ed.: The simple answer is always “yes.” This sounds like the trip of a lifetime, so a little restructuring of your normal winter patterns should be worth it. I hope that you appreciate the irony of a snowbird – who normally seeks the sun in winter – seeking the winter in summer.